C2F: Heartlink
by Kira Heartilly
Summary: OC Story: To train the best card designers, a new Academy opens up where students duel using the cards they've made. Naota and Hikaru thought they'd have a fun year making friends, creating cards, and dueling classmates, but instead they're caught up in one teacher's quest to create the ultimate monster cards. Contains LGBT themes.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX. Also if you are homophobic or transphobic this is your last chance to escape to safety. **

**Trigger Warnings: I haven't fully planned this story out but usually my stories include depictions of some violence, self-harm, abuse, and sometimes mentions of suicidal thoughts or attempts.**

**Note: Not ALL duels will focus on original cards. Sadly I am not **_**that creative.**_

**Also it's been a while since I've written duels, I feel super rusty but I think I can get back into this eventually. Wish me luck.**

* * *

"Promise me you'll still call on the phone." Naota Yamaguchi tried to sound enthusiastic and upbeat, but that kind of acting proved to be far beyond the ten-year-old's capabilities. Naota and Yuu were best friends since the day they'd met, and now Yuu was moving away.

The very thought of that was enough to shatter Naota's heart. The poor child hadn't slept well in days, often tossing and turning into the hours of the morning. What little sleep that did come often came with the accompaniment of the most sorrowful dreams.

Naota once dreamt of growing up without ever seeing Yuu again.

So as the snowfall gently covered Akimoto Park in a blanket of white, the two children pushed themselves on the swing, enjoying each other's company for what might be the last time. Naota struggled to keep up with Yuu, who easily swung high into the air despite being one year younger than his friend. Their relationship was like that a lot. Yuu always kept one step ahead of Naota. Once they bought a game on the same day. Yuu finished it weeks before Naota. Naota read a book in two days and leant it to Yuu, who finished it and returned it by that evening. And Naota had never once beaten Yuu at Duel Monsters.

But none of this ever put a single strain on their friendship.

Naota's gentle almond colored eyes peeked out from behind bangs of curly brown hair. Though Naota tried to force a smile for Yuu, there was no way to hide the welling tears. "I'll miss you."

Yuu brushed away a lock of his silver hair and smiled. "Of course I'll always call. We're best friends Ta-kun."

"I have something for you," said Naota. With as warm a smile as possible, Naota hopped off the swing and held something out. Yuu jumped off in midair and landed before Naota.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Well I didn't really _get _it." Naota dropped a star shaped silver necklace into Yuu's gloved hand. "It's just something I had on me."

"But this is," Yuu's voice froze, his words hanging on the bitter wind. "Didn't your dad say you're supposed to save this and give it to somebody you really like?" Yuu held the necklace in his hand, unable to take his eyes off it.

"I really like you."

Children laughed and played on the equipment all around them, running up the stairs, swinging from the monkey bars, and racing down the slides. They threw snowballs and built snowmen. Their parents cheered them on or scolded them for not listening. Naota's brother chatted with his girlfriend a few feet away, trying to earn himself a kiss.

'Thank you so much, Ta-kun." Said Yuu as he put on the necklace. "It's beautiful." His eyes lit up like starlight. "Hey, Ta-kun, do you have your cards with you?"

"Uh huh. My brother's holding it," said Naota, running off quickly.

Yuu smiled as he headed toward the parking lot. "Hey, Mr. Murata," he called out to a man dressed in formal black attire, sitting within a long black limo. "I'm going to give Naota the present now."

Mr. Murata smiled as he stepped out of the limo and opened the door. "I am sure Naota will love it, Master Akimoto."

Yuu hopped inside the car and nearly tripped on landing. With a quick pin wheeling motion he maintained his balance as he shoved something on one arm and grabbed a medium sized box with the other. It was wrapped in green wrapping paper and a red ribbon. "Thank you so much Mr. Murata!"

Yuu returned to the park and found his friend sitting by a bench. "Hey where'd you go?" Naota asked him with a smile. "I was worried I lost you." Snow fell on Naota's hair and quickly melted, dripping down his face like tears.

Yuu adjusted his ski cap and smiled. "Just had to get you this," he said as he handed Naota a box, careful to keep his left arm hidden. "Happy Birthday. I know it's a little early but I wanted to give it to you now."

Naota vigorously tore the wrapping paper off with a smile. "Thanks Yuu," said Naota, throwing all the garbage into a nearby trashcan. Naota removed the last of the wrapping and gasped. "You didn't have to get me a Duel Disk!"

"But you've always wanted one," said Yuu. "And I figure we should duel this way at least once." Yuu revealed his left arm, already equipped with a Duel Disk of his own. "So let's play!"

Naota smiled, putting on the Duel Disk with enthusiasm and shuffling the cards with a smile. The two duelists smirked as their Duel Disks whirred to life and their Life Point counters climbed. "You can have the first move," Yuu announced.

The other children got off the playground and gasped in unison as they saw the duel beginning. Some of them had their own Duel Disks, but many did not. An actual hologram duel was a rare sight for them to behold. Sure you could see them on TV at any time, but to watch one up close in real life! Many were jealous.

"Mommy, I want a Duel Disk!"

"I wonder what kind of cards they use."

"Oh wow, they're so young. I wonder if they're any good."

Naota's brother Dai stopped making out with his girlfriend so he could watch his sibling duel. "Hey Skye, you like Duel Monsters right. This is going to be pretty fun." Dai smirked. "Wait until you see Yuu's deck."

Naota drew six cards and smiled. "I summon Sylvan Flowerknight," Naota said, placing a card on the field. A young brown haired teen wearing bright golden armor and a green plant like cape. (1800/1000) "Flowerknight allows me to excavate a card from the top of my deck," said Naota, grabbing a card and revealing it to Yuu. "If it's a plant it goes to the graveyard. If not it goes to the bottom of my deck. And the card I excavated is Sylvan Flowerknight and I get to activate my card's other effect. I can take one Sylvan monster from my deck and place it on the top of my deck, so I choose Sylvan Bladefender!" Naota grabbed two cards from his hand. "I'll set these cards face down and end my turn."

Yuu drew a new card and smiled. "I summon Shizen Link- Courage Terrier!" (1200/800) Yuu announced as an adorable dog with brown and white fur appeared at his feet and dashed around the field barking happily. Yuu bent over to pet his new card before grabbing a spell. "Next I activate the spell card Link Summon. This turn, if I summoned one of my S Link cards, I can Special Summon another one of an equal or lower level from my hand. So come on out, Shizen Link Inaba Cottontail!" (700/500) Yuu summoned an adorable white rabbit with fluffy cotton fur.

The rabbit hopped up and down and happily clapped its hands. Some of the children pointed and squealed with delight. "Now their effects kick in. These S Links get power based on the other S Links in play. Level 4 and lower cards like Inaba and Courage get half the original attack of the strongest S Link on my field, so long as that S Link is Level 5 or lower and is a different card." Yuu noticed some confusion in the audience. "So Inaba gets half of Courage Terrier's attack and vice versa!"(1300/500) (1550/800) "Next I use Inaba's effect. While he can't attack directly like his Spirit counterpart, but I can give up his attack for the turn to weaken one of your monsters by half the attack of an S Link I control!"

Inaba Cottontail hopped toward Sylvan Flowerknight and bopped his foe on the head with a cartoonish mallet. Flowerknight spun around feeling dizzy. (1025/1000) "Now Courage Terrier attacks your Sylvan Flowerknight! And as you know, his effect protects me from your traps!"

The tiny dog let out a bark as it charged forward and flipped through the air, landing on Sylvan Flowerknight with enough force to destroy the opposing monster. Naota's Life Points trickled slightly, but not enough to cause any serious alarm just yet.

**Naota: ****3475**

"Next I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Naota reached for the next card and grinned. "Welcome out Sylvan Bladefender," Naota cried out, summoning forth a new plant warrior. (1900/700) "Now it's time for the duel to really get started!"

It was a fierce duel, Naota threw forth everything a Sylvan deck had to offer. The crowd cheered for the two duelists and both duelists smiled. But in the end it wasn't enough. Yuu smiled as his trap card wiped away Naota's field. "And now go, Shizen Link S. Wolf! Attack him directly!" Yuu cried out. A tiny wolf cub with silver fur dashed forward and took a running leap at Naota's stomach, bringing the duelist's Life Points to 0.

**Naota: 0**

"Hahaha that was fun Yuu." Said Naota as the holograms vanished. "I wish we could do this again someday."

"I know I'll be moving far away, but I promise I'll come visit sometime." Yuu said. "So make sure you practice!

"Are you sure you can make it?"

"Of course. We're best friends aren't we!" Said Yuu.

Years passed and Naota never saw Yuu Akimoto again.

* * *

**Original Cards**

**Shizen Link Courage Terrier **

Earth/Beast

(3) 1200/800

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 5 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. Your opponent may not activate Trap Cards in response to this card's attack or the attack of any S Link monster with equal or less Attack than S Link Courage Terrier.

_A cute little terrier with white and brown fur._

**Shizen Link Inaba Cottontail **

Earth/Beast

(3) 700/500

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 5 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. Once per turn select one monster your opponent controls and reduce its Attack by this card's Attack. Then if you control another Shizen Link monster, you may reduce the targeted monster's Attack by one half the Attack of another Shizen Link monster you control.

_An adorable bunny with fluffy white fur like cotton._

**Link Summon**

Spell

If you Normal Summoned an S Link monster this turn you may Special Summon from your hand or Graveyard an S Link monster with equal or less attack.

_Inaba Cottontail hopping after a butterfly._

**Author's Notes: For this story I will **_**not**_** be using the real world ban list. Most cards will use their real life effects though some will maintain their anime effects if they work better.**


	2. Linked Hearts

**Chapter 1: Linked Hearts**

**First real chapter. First real duel. It's a little quick as are the first few of this story, hopefully I can get more into the swing of things later on.**

* * *

"_Hey you nervous?"_

"_Nah, this test is gonna be a piece of cake."_

"_I heard some of the teachers are really good."_

"Didn't one of them design the Volthunder cards?"

There were a few students here and there across the mostly empty auditorium. The normal entrance exams to the academy wouldn't start for another hour and forty-five minutes, but a few students had to be there ahead of time. Including one Naota Yamaguchi.

The large building could accommodate a crowd of 30,000, and every year the entrance exam saw this place filled to the brim. Only natural, of course. After all there were a ton of schools where you could learn to play Duel Monsters. This was the only academy _to let students create their own cards. _And students from all over the world vied for the chance to get in.

Yet only a few thousand applicants ever made it in. Most would fail this exam and try to get in someplace else. If they were lucky they could make it into Duel Academy or some other school dedicated to the art of dueling. Others still, were even more unfortunate and would end up in a regular High School. Sweat dripped down Naota's forehead. Despite being dressed in a red hoodie and blue jeans, Naota still felt like the AC had been set to arctic.

"Hikaru, what if I don't get in?" Naota asked.

Hikaru, Naota's cousin, was a young woman with shoulder length blonde hair. She was slim and slender though her build was slightly more athletic than her cousin's. While Naota had a very slender body that bordered on scrawny, she looked fit, like a cheerleader. She wore a bright pink T-shirt the color of peonies and a short black mini skirt with gym shorts underneath.

Hikaru rolled her eyes and sighed. "Naota, don't worry about it. You'll do fine. You're a good duelist and I've seen you play with your deck enough to know that you've got enough talent to pass the exams. It's not like the Professors are allowed to go all out anyway."

Naota sighed. "I guess you're right. I'm just scared."

The walls of the auditorium were dark, a very plain gray color like stone. It made the entire place feel like a foreboding dungeon, holding everybody's dreams captive. Naota's heart started to race. What if the test too hard? What if the duel went bad? Naota wanted to vomit.

"Calm down Naota," Hikaru said. "Everything's going to be okay."

Their feet clacked down the steps. Naota nearly slipped on one step but Hikaru caught her cousin quickly. A young woman sat behind a small wooden desk with stacks of paper on either side of her. She had long green hair and wore a white blazer over a white blouse and white pants. She had her head down and drummed her fingers on the table. She seemed to be muttering something under her breath. "Jesus you kids are early. Don't you have video games to be playing?"

Naota held back as Hikaru quickly approached the teacher. "Hello, my name is Hikaru Reinhardt and this is my cousin Naota Yama,"

The woman's head shot up before Hikaru could finish. "Oh yes, Naota Yamaguchi, correct. We've heard a lot about you young m, young one." She covered her mouth. "Forgive me. Your application indicated that you are bigender, correct?"

"Yes," Naota nodded. "But I usually go with male pronouns unless I feel like presenting as a female." He smiled for once. "Thanks. I'm really surprised this school is so inclusive. Well, no I'm not, but it's really making me happy."

"Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Morrigana, head teacher of the White Dorm. It's the highest ranking dorm for first and second years, surpassed only by the Black Dorm, which only permits third years." She said. "I have my fingers crossed you two will be accepted."

"Thanks," said Hikaru. "My cousin is really nervous but I'm sure we'll do well. I don't mean to sound cocky, but we've been practicing all vacation long." She laughed. "I can't wait to get our new cards though. I worked hard making them."

"Yes I've seen your cards. The Maho Shojous correct? They look wonderful. Spellcasters are quite popular aren't they?" Morrigana turned to Naota. "And you, young man. Your Lunatic deck is quite unusual but very exciting. Not many people go that route. You actually remind me of the Dragon King. I'm sure you two will be great friends if you ever meet him!"

"Dragon King?" Naota asked, his interest piqued. Dragons were really popular and he was certain many people would be making more dragons at the academy, along with warriors and Spellcasters, but the idea of a Dragon King was something worth looking into.

"Yes, he's a third year White Dorm student. Well, he's probably going to be promoted to the Black Dorm soon. I must say I will miss him quite a bit. But I will of course be happy for him. What teacher doesn't want the best for their students?" Morrigana smiled. "Now, I recall you said you were nervous, right Naota? Then how about I give you a gift?" She reached for the purse at her feet and pulled out a small white deck case. Flipping through the cards, she came to the one she wanted. "I designed it myself." She said as she handed Naota the card. "A few years back. It's helped me through a few tight spots. It was recently approved by Industrial Illusions and will be mass produced in a future Booster Pack. But right now, it's the only one of its kind in the world, not that this is anything new to you from what I hear."

"Thanks," said Naota as he took the card. A jolt ran through his spine. "I'm sure it will go great in my deck, I can feel it already." He smiled as he stared at Professor Morrigana's nose. "I wish I could do something to thank you."

"Just do your best in class and that will be thanks enough." Morrigana said with a smile. "Now why don't you take a seat for now and relax. The exam isn't for ages and it will do you no good to let your nerves get the best of you. Just relax and I am sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks again," said Naota as he skipped up the stairs with his cousin following close behind.

"Hey be careful," Hikaru warned him, "you don't want to trip."

Morrigana laughed. "Well, I better go tell the others that he's here."

* * *

Another room stood behind a small door at the back of the auditorium. The door yawned open with a creak and Morrigana stepped inside with a frown on her face. Several other teachers and volunteer students sat around a desk filled with cookies, cakes, doughnuts and other snacks. She smelled warm coffee brewing in the corner. "So, Naota Yamaguchi and Hikaru Reinhardt just showed up."

Several heads turned in excitement. They all knew that Naota and Hikaru were coming, but still the thought was exciting. "Looks like we're in for an interesting semester," said a black woman with long curly hair. She wore a silver blouse and black dress pants. "The Dragon King and Thunder Empress are in their third year so they'll probably be promoted to Black Dorm. The Princess is finally old enough to attend classes. And now Naota and Hikaru are finally showing up."

"Remind me again why we're making those two take the exam," Morrigana moaned as she rubbed her temples. "It's already been decided that _we're letting them in no matter what. _Why are we making more work for ourselves?"

"We still need to determine their Dormitory Rankings," said the black woman. "Besides, don't you want to see Naota's deck?"

"There will be plenty of time for that later, Hawthorne. Students don't get their new decks for a few days and he'll probably use his current deck for plenty of duels even after he gets his new deck." Morrigana sighed. She sat at an empty chair and began spreading cream cheese on a raisin bagel.

"Awww, where's your sense of adventure?" Hawthorne teased. "There's just so much to look forward to this year. I for one can't wait to see him clash with the Princess. You know she's looking forward to it. I'm surprised she didn't come here to challenge him right now."

"You know she doesn't like an audience." Morrigana sighed. She sighed a lot actually. Some of the staff members joked that if you ever needed to find Morrigana, you listened for the sound of somebody sighing. "She'll probably duel him in private when nobody else is watching."

"Do you think he can sense duel spirits?" Asked a young man with light brown skin and black hair. He wore a gray suit jacket over his white dress shirt and gray pants.

"Not sure, Ho'omalu. I gave him a card with a spirit attached to it and he seemed to react to it, but he didn't quite notice the spirit," said Morrigana. "It seems he has latent abilities. Hopefully they will awaken at the academy." She grabbed another bagel.

* * *

Naota sighed as he slammed his book shut. "I can't focus, it's too noisy," he whispered to Hikaru. He stuffed his copy of _Koukon Bridge _into his backpack. A few more seats had filled, but most were still empty. The quiet chatter rang in Naota's head, giving him a headache.

"Why don't you listen to some music instead?" Hikaru suggested as she flipped through the pages of her own book, _Butterfly Wednesdays. _It was not quite what she'd been hoping for. "Or you can duel somebody to pass the time."

Naota looked around at the other students. Most of them seemed to be either surfing the web on their smart phones, studying for their test, or talking to friends. "They all look pretty busy."

A few students doodled away in art books and Naota sighed. "Is something the matter?" Asked a voice from behind him.

Naota spun and saw a pale yet beautiful young woman looking at him. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. She wore elegant clothing, a black dress with white lace and blood red ribbons. She wore a red bonnet and carried a red purse at her side. The total effect was stunning, black and white with just a splash of color to draw attention. Naota was in awe.

"My name is Cadence." She said. "Cadence Zweilicht. Forgive me for intruding, but something seems to be troubling you. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh thanks, but I'm fine," said Naota, staring at the floor. "I'm just sad because everybody here seems to be great at drawing. Most of my art sucks. My motor skills aren't really the greatest for holding art tools."

"I understand." Said Cadence. "Fret not. The school will take care of it. Students who can't draw for themselves are still allowed to come up with card effects and other students will handle the art for them. They even offer extra credit for it. I myself have also made it a personal vow to help those in need of artistic talents. If there is anything you would like me to draw for you, then please let me know!"

"Thanks but I don't want to be a bother," said Naota. "What about you? You look somewhat distressed."

"I've heard troubling news. A boy from my old school said he may be applying here. He is quite a," she paused, "a trouble maker and a nuisance. If you ever meet a boy named Izuru I suggest you run away from him as fast as you can. He's nothing but a pest. If I had my way I'd have him sent to therapy for rehabilitation."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Naota. "Oh I never introduced myself. I am Naota Yamaguchi and this is my cousin Hikaru Reinhardt!"

Cadence curtseyed. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope we can all make it in so we can be friends. Although," she gave Naota an odd look. "Forgive me for prying but your name sounds familiar. Naota Yamaguchi. You wouldn't happen to have made the news anytime in the past."

Naota shook his head. "Nope, I'm just an ordinary average teen."

"Well, I came here early to make sure I had everything in order, but I'm a bit famished. I'm heading off to _Moink _to go get a snack. Would you like to accompany me?" Cadence asked.

"No thank you," said Naota. "I'm too nervous to eat."

"I had lunch before I came," said Hikaru with a chuckle. "Although I must admit I'm surprised. When you said you were famished I imagined you'd be going to some high class place, not a fast food restaurant."

Cadence giggled. "I know it may seem silly, but I do love all sorts of food. Besides, Moink has the most delicious parfaits imaginable and they have a good track record with promoting equality. They pay their employees well too. I guess that's what you should expect from a company owned by the Akimoto Family. They're really on top of this kind of thing."

"Yeah," Naota said, staring at his feet.

"Well, I am off, see you later." Cadence waved as she walked backward out the door.

Naota sank into his chair and pulled out his phone, plugging in his headphones so he could listen to the new Hazuki/Zer0 album.

_**Every day**_

_**I feel the fading memory**_

_**And a string of fate**_

_**Isn't enough to keep me believing**_

_**I guess fairy tales are silly**_

_**I won't get my happy ending**_

_**And this is my penalty**_

_**For pretending**_

"Will everyone taking the early exams please report to the bottom of the auditorium. A test proctor will hand you your test and lead you to the exam site." Said a man's voice on the PA. Naota pulled out his headphones just in time to hear. He turned to Hikaru with a nervous smile.

"I think I'll be okay," he said.

Hikaru smiled at her cousin. "I'm sure you can do it, Naota."

* * *

Naota walked down to the bottom of the steps as did a few other students, but most remained in their seats chattering nervously to themselves. Some wondered why there were early exams while others didn't care. Naota avoided eye contact with anybody until he got to the bottom of the steps, where Professor Morrigana handed him a sheet of paper. "Good luck," she told him.

"Now will everybody follow me," said a Hawaiian man as he proceeded to a small door near the back of the room. It was a separate door from the one leading to the teacher's lounge. This one opened up to reveal a small room with thirty or so chairs each fitted with its own desk. "You will each have an hour to complete your exam. After you are done, please turn it in to me. You will then be allowed to duel one of the instructors or a high ranking student from school. The duels will take place in the auditorium unless you have made an advanced request to duel in private, in which case you will have your duels in here." The teacher smiled. "You may begin."

Naota looked over the test questions.

_1. Your opponent controls a Jinzo equipped with Amplifier, a Swords of Revealing Light that will last one more turn, a face down card in their spell/trap zone, and a Wave Motion Cannon that has just been played. You have 2000 Life Points, a Dark Magician on the field, and a Mystical Space Typhoon in your hand. Which card, if any, do you destroy with Mystical Space Typhoon and why?_

_2. Your opponent controls a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon equipped with a Megamorph. They have 1000 Life Points and you have 2000. You have three cards in your hand and none on the field. Your deck and graveyard are empty. Describe a scenario in which you can use these three cards to destroy your opponent's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and inflict enough damage to win this duel._

The next few were puzzle duels, describing the cards on the field in such a way that you needed to win in one turn. Next were questions asking about the effects of certain cards. One question asked '_Which card is better, Magic Jammer or Magic Drain and why?' _

Naota scribbled away furiously. His heart beat nervously. _'I think I can do this,' _he told himself.

Back in the teacher's lounge all the instructors were enjoying more snacks before the duels began. Hawthorne told the others about all the amazing card ideas she'd seen form the students, _Pyronians, Spellicans, Poes, _and countless others. Morrigana shared none of this enthusiasm and instead complained about the countless archtypes that lacked any originality. _Deathsworns, Blacksworns, Darksworns, Graysworns, Whitewings, Lightwings,_ _Holywings_, _another set of_ _Darksworns,_ and _fourteen kinds of Exodias_.

"Awww, don't be so hard on them," said Hawthorne. "Just because lots of people have the same idea doesn't mean they can't all try their best with it." She offered Morrigana a bottledwater. "So, the early exams are soon. You gonna duel any of the students?"

"I'm going to let the others handle this for now. I never had much fun using these test decks. They're way too dull for me." Morrigana sighed loudly.

"I agree. That's why I'm not using them," said Hawthorne with a chuckle. Morrigana gave her companion a look. "I asked the Chancellor for permission to duel Naota with my real deck. Since he's being let in anyway it doesn't matter if he wins his duel or not."

Morrigana convulsed. "WHAT!" She shouted. "You've got to be, there's no way Naota can handle you using your best deck! You've got to be kidding me. What's the Chancellor thinking?" Morrigana slammed her hand down and glared at Hawthorne.

"Hey, calm down. Like I said. Naota gets in either way so the outcome doesn't matter." Hawthorne protested. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Do you have any idea how nervous that kid is? He's going to be dueling in front of an audience and you're going to humiliate him!" Morrigana took a deep breath and rubbed the sides of her head with both hands. "If that's going to be his first experience at this academy it could have a horrible impact on his self-esteem for the rest of the semester."

"He'll be fine. Learning how to lose is an important part of being a duelist, after all," said Hawthorne. An alarm beeped on the PA. "Oh looks like one of the students is done." She stood up with a smile.

* * *

Naota finished his test up early and handed it over to the teacher. "Please return to the main auditorium," said the man. "Good luck on your duel."

Naota's legs felt like Giant Soldiers of Stone as he wobbled back through the door. A beautiful young woman greeted him with a smile. "Hello, you can call me Professor Hawthorne. You must be Naota Yamaguchi."

"Yes ma'am." Said Naota, looking at the professor's feet. He quickly glanced at the crowd. There weren't many students, just about thirty or so, but all eyes were on him. He saw Hikaru giving him a thumb's up and he saw Cadence waving at him, mouthing something he was certain would be encouraging if he could only read lips.

"Would you like to make the first move or the second?"

Naota shuffled his deck and slipped it into his Duel Disk. Though he'd had it modified to fit his arm, it was still the very same Disk Yuu had given him all those years ago. Along with one other parting gift. "I'll go first," said Naota as he drew six cards.

"I normal summon Shizen Link Plumericat," said Naota as a black and white cat appeared at his feet. She had a purple flower crown and wing like leaves on her back. (1000/1000) "Next I activate the Spell Link Summon to bring out Shizen Link Princex Hibiscus," (800/500) Noata said as an androgynous plant person appeared on his field. They wore an orange dress and had a round face with a crown of flowers on their head. "Now my S Links power each other up." (1300/500) (1400/1000) "On their own they're weak but they gain half the attack of one S Link other than themselves. Level 4 and lower monsters can draw strength from monsters up to Level 5! I set a card and end my turn." A face down card materialized on Naota's field.

"Yes, I've heard that your S Links can all power each other up. Too bad for you I'm going to have to cut your deck down to size," Hawthorne said as she drew a card. "I summon Volthunder Pixie to the field in attack mode." (1400/1100) A yellow pixie with lemon colored hair and a neon dress darted onto the field. "Destroy the Princex!"

"_S Link?"_

"_What are those?"_

"_They sound pretty powerful."_

Volthunder Pixie flew forward and smashed through Naota's Princex, but he didn't let it phase him. "When Princex is destroyed I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower S Link monster from my deck, so I bring out S Link Courage Terrier!" (1200/800)- (1700/800) Plumericat let out a mew as she grew stronger. (1600/1000)

**Naota: 3900**

"Now Volthunder Pixie's effect activates. Whenever you perform a Special Summon, she inflicts 300 damage and gains a Volthunder Counter worth 300 Attack Points!" (1700/1100) The Pixie snapped her fingers and brought down a bolt of lightning upon Naota.

**Naota: 3600**

"I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Naota drew his next card and smiled. "I'll set this card face down and activate my face down Miracle Beanstalk This card allows me to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or Lower Plant from my graveyard. Its effect is negated but its attack is doubled during the turn it's summoned! So welcome back my Princex!" (800/500)-(1600/500)

More lightning fell upon Naota as Volthunder Pixie's attack grew. (2000/1100)

**Naota: 3300**

"Next I activate the Spell Card Seeds of Friendship. This banishes a Level 4 or Lower Plant S Link from my deck, thus planting a seed. Next turn the seed blossoms and I can Special Summon that monster. So I pick S Link Gardenia!"

Naota smiled as all his cards frolicked together. "Now, Princex, attack that Pixie." Naota's Princex Hibiscus raised a storm of petals that flew toward Volthunder Pixie, only to collide with a totem pole and hit the ground. "Command Silencer negates your attack and allows me to draw a card."

"I end my turn, and my prince is destroyed again," said Naota as his Princex Hibiscus vanished in a storm of petals.

Hawthorne drew, bringing her hand back to five cards. "Careful Naota, running out of cards early on is a major disadvantage. It means you'll be stuck in a top decking situation too often. I summon Volthunder Unicorn!" (1700/1500) A yellow unicorn galloped onto the field. She had a metal horn shaped like a lightning bolt. "Now, Volthunder Pixie, destroy Plumericat!"

Volthunder Pixie sent forth burst of lightning that arced along the ground. Plumericat mewed in fear, but Naota swung his hand out. "I activate Floral Shield!" A storm of petals knocked away the electricity. "This negates your attack and allows me to draw a card."

The unicorn stomped her hoof and shot a bolt of lightning at Naota.

**Naota: 3000**

"Volthunder Unicorn doesn't like it when you activate traps during the battle phase. So you lose 300 Life Points and she gains a Volthunder Counter!" (2000/1500) "Now, for a lesson. A card like Floral Shield should have been saved for a bigger attack. You are still going to lose your Plumericat!" Hawthorne pointed at Naota's kitten. "Go, my unicorn, trample her!"

Plumericat shattered into tiny pixels as Courage Terrier let out a mournful howl. (1200/800)

**Naota: 2600**

"I end my turn."

Naota drew and looked over the three cards in his hand. "Let's welcome Shizen Link Gardenia to the field!" (1200/1000)- (1800/1000) Gardenia was a humanoid plant with a multicolored dress and flowers in her long auburn hair.

Volthunder Pixie zapped Naota again. (2300/1100)

**Naota: 2300**

Naota fell to his knees and struggled to support himself.

"You're down to almost half your Life Points and you haven't touched mine yet, Naota. I'll tell you what. I'm using a deck that's much better than the one I'm meant to use for the entrance exam. I did this on the agreement that as long as you did well, you could still get in, even if you lost. You're doing okay, so how about we call it quits and you can still get into this school?" Hawthorne offered.

"_Wow, no wonder he's losing so badly."_

"_This duel is kind of boring."_

"_Well what do you expect."_

"N-no," said Naota as he wobbled to his feet. "I owe it to this deck to be the best Duelist that I can. I'll do better than this. In fact, I promise that I can win."

"Your two monsters have 1800 Attack points and mine both have over 2000. You'll need to summon something a lot stronger if you want to break through my defenses." Hawthorne pointed out. "You could always do a tribute summon, but that means losing some of your resources. And Special Summons are going to activate my Pixie's effect."

"I activate the effect of my Gardenia. Once per turn I can Special Summon a Level 3 or Lower S Link from my graveyard, so I bring back Plumericat!"(1000/1000) – (1600/1000)

Volthunder Pixie zapped Naota once more as she grew stronger from the Special Summon. (2600/1100)

**Naota: 2000**

"Plumericat is a Tuner. Since she is level 3 I can tune her with my Level 3 Gardenia to Synchro Summon a Level 6 Synchro!" Courage Terrier lost his glow (1200/800) as his allies vanished into a portal of stars. "The profound bonds of nature give birth to a shining miracle. Blossom forth from the garden of my soul. Synchro Summon Shizen Link Lycoris!" (2300/2000)-(2900/2000) "She is a Level 6 so Courage Terrier can't get an attack boost from her, but she can get one from him." Lycoris had a red dress and long flowing red hair. She had twigs for arms and a stem for a body, with roots pouring out from beneath her dress.

"Don't forget about my Pixie!" (2900/1100)

**Naota: 1700**

Naota gnashed his teeth. "Plumericat's effect activates. When she is used to Synchro Summon an S Link monster, I can negate that card's destruction once, so I attack your Pixie with my Lycoris!" Lycoris threw out a storm of petals at the Pixie who countered with a blast of lightning. Lycoris fell to the ground but quickly recovered. The Pixie was not so lucky and she shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Now I bet you're wondering why I waited so long to bring out Lycoris!" Naota smirked. "I activated the Quick Play Spell Cherry Blossom Finale! When a Plant S Link I control destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to half that monster's attack!"

**Hawthorne: 2150**

"You waited to destroy my monster so you could inflict damage to my Life Points? You could have been whittling them away all this time while protecting your monsters." Hawthorne scolded Naota.

"I combo it with Pride Howl. When a monster of yours is destroyed I can choose a Beast Type S Link and double its attack until the end phase, at the cost of halving all damage it inflicts." Courage Terrier let out a howl as his attack doubled. (2400/800) "Now destroy that Unicorn!"

**Hawthorne: 1950**

"I end my turn and my Lycoris' effect activates, inflicting 800 damage to the both of us!" Said Naota as countless petals swarmed the field.

**Naota: 900**

**Hawthorne: 1150**

"_I guess he has some decent moves after all."_

"_It'd suck if such a rare deck got stuck with somebody who could never use them"_

Hawthorne drew a card and smiled. "Looks like this is the end. I activate my face down Call of the Haunted to revive Volthunder Pixie!" (1400/1100) "And I chain that with Inferno Reckless Summon, bringing out two more Pixies from my deck!"(1400/1100) Two new Pixies join their friend. "Now you must choose a monster you control and Special Summon all copies of it from your hand, deck, or graveyard."

"Well, seeing as each monster I special summon this way will cost me 900 Life Points, I choose Lycoris." Naota cringed. His muscles ached. It hurt to breathe.

"_Okay I take it back, the kid is screwed."_

"_Hawthorne is really good."_

"I'll Normal Summon Volthunder Soldier in attack mode!" (1800/1300) Said Hawthorne as a soldier in golden armor appeared. He carried a golden sword that he pointed at Courage Terrier. "Now, go, attack his puppy!" Volthunder Soldier sliced through Courage Terrier and brought Naota to his knees. "Next I activate the spell card Thunder Burst! This is Continuous Spell that inflicts 300 points of damage whenever you destroy a Thunder Type monster." Hawthorne smiled. "And finally, I'll end this turn with Swords of Revealing Light to halt all your attacks for the next several turns."

Naota fell to his knees just as the swords fell around him. He felt the eyes burning into his soul. Everybody watching him. He had to make a good impression. He had to do well. He couldn't fail, not here.

The power went out.

"_Hey, what's going on?"_

"_Did something happen?"_

Everybody turned their attention away from the duel for a second. Naota took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He drew a card and returned to his feet. Somehow, in the dark, he felt a bit better. Though it was hard to see in the dark, the Swords of revealing Light offered just enough illumination to make out his new card.

"I summon Ribbon Kuriboh in defense mode!" (300/200) Said Naota as a Kuriboh with a bright red ribbon appeared. Naota felt a warmth wash over him, like a friend had joined his side.

"Odd, I've never heard of that monster. Did you just add it to your deck?" Asked Hawthorne.

Light flooded the room as Naota smiled. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Courage Terrier in Attack Position!" (1200/800) Naota's dog barked happily even as lightning fell around him. Ribbon Kuriboh danced around and laughed as he diverted the lightning. "Did I mention Ribbon Kuriboh prevents you from inflicting effect damage on my turn! And here's the best part, he makes an amazing draw engine. Every time he protects me I draw a card. And you just tried to damage me three times!"

"What?" Hawthorne gasped. Her three Pixie's grew stronger, but the news still astounded her. (1700/1100) "So every time you Special Summon a monster, you get to draw three cards?"

"That's right! Next I activate Call of the Wolf. When I control a Beast Type S Link I can Special Summon another Beast Type S Link from my deck with equal or lower attack, so welcome out Inaba Cottontail!" (700/500)-(1100/500) Ribbon Kuriboh giggled as it danced in the lightning.

The pixies all fumed with anger. (2000/1100)

Courage Terrier barked happily. (1550/800) "Inaba's effect will activate, reducing your Soldier's attack by his own Attack Points, that's 1100, plus half the Attack of my S Link Lycoris! That makes a total of way more than your Soldier's attack!" Inaba bonked Volthunder Soldier with a cartoon mallet and left the warrior feeling dizzy. (0/1300)

"Next I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light." Said Naota as his card blew away all the swords. He heard the distinct sound of a card being destroyed like shattering glass and smiled. "So now, Lycoris, end this duel with your attack."

Petals streamed forward and cut through Volthunder Soldier. Hawthrone's spell shot off sparks at Naota, but Ribbon Kuriboh danced happily in the air, controlling the flow of the lightning as if he were a traffic conductor controlling cards.

**Hawthorne: 0**

Naota drew a card and smiled. S Link Silver Fur.

Hawthorne smiled. "Well, that certainly wasn't impressive. I wasn't expecting you to win, but that Ribbon Kuriboh really turned things around. I'll have to be careful if I ever run into it again." She chuckled. "You look exhausted, why don't you go take a seat?"

Naota nodded, unable to speak.

Professor Morrigana sat alone in the teacher's lounge as everybody else got ready for the upcoming duels. She sipped on some luke warm coffee as a brown furball with a blood red ribbon floated in. "Ah, hello Ribbon Kuriboh, I didn't expect to see you back so soon."

"Kuri," though his words were not of a human tongue, Morrigana nodded. She could understand him perfectly well.

"Keep an eye on that child and make sure you report back Naota's every move, Kuriboh. If my plan is to succeed it is of utmost importance that everyone play their role, but especially our martyr Naota." Morrigana chuckled. "I have to admit, I was worried that Hawthorne would mess things up by dueling with him, but you really came through for me."

"Kuri," said the duel spirit.

"Looks like things are going to be really fun at Akimoto Academy this year."

* * *

**The theme here is the power of friendship and unity. I think this deck may have come out a little more powerful than I intended, but I shall do my best to still make the duels fun.**

**Original Card Lists**

**Volthunder Pixie**

Wind/Thunder

(4) 1400/1100

If your opponent special summons a monster, inflict 300 points of effect damage and place one Volthunder Counter on this card. This card gains 300 Attack for every Volthunder Counter on it.

_A yellow pixie with lemon colored hair and a neon dress_

**Volthunder Unicorn**

Wind/Thunder

(4) 1700/1500

If your opponent activates a trap card during your battlephase inflict 300 points of effect damage and place one Volthunder Counter on this card. This card gains 300 Attack for every Volthunder Counter on it.

_A yellow unicorn with a metal lightning bolt shaped horn._

**Volthunder Soldier**

Wind/Thunder

(4) 1800/1300

_A soldier in golden armor._

**Thunder Burst**

Continuous Spell

Whenever a Thunder Type monster you control is destroyed in battle, inflict 300 Points of effect damage.

_A lightning bolt strikes a young child._

**Shizen Link Plumericat**

Earth/Beast/Tuner

(3)1000/1000

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 5 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. When this card is used to Synchro Summon a Shizen Link Synchro Monster, you may negate that monster's destruction once.

_A black and white cat with a crown of plumerias and wing like leaves on her back._

**Shizen Link Princex Hibiscus**

Earth/Plant

(2) 800/500

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 5 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. When this card is destroyed in battle you may Special Summon 1 Level 3 or Lower Shizen Link monster from your deck.

_An agender humanoid flower wearing an orange dress. They wear a crown of orange hibiscus flowers._

**Shizen Link Gardenia**

Earth/Plant

(3) 1200/1000

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 5 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. Once per turn you may Special Summon a Level 3 or Lower Shizen Link monster from your graveyard.

_A humanoid plant with a multicolored dress and flowers in her long auburn hair._

**Shizen Link Lycoris**

Earth/Plant/Synchro

(6) 2300/2000

1 S Link Tuner+ 1 or More S Link Non Tuner's

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a level 7 or Lower Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. During your endphase inflict 800 points of effect damage to both players.

_A flower woman with a red dress and long flowing red hair. She has twigs for arms and a stem for a body, with roots pouring out from beneath her dress._

**Ribbon Kuriboh**

Dark/Fairy

(2) 300/200

When an opponent's card effect would inflict effect damage during your turn, negate the damage and draw 1 card.

_A Kuriboh with a blood red ribbon._

**Seeds of Friendship**

Spell

Banish 1 Level 4 or Lower Plant Type Shizen Link monster from your deck and Special Summon it during your next standby phase.

_Two teenagers plant a garden. A Plumericat blossoms from one of the seeds._

**Miracle Beanstalk**

Trap

Special Summon a Level 4 or Lower Plant Type monster from your graveyard. Double its attack points and negate its effect. During the end phase of this turn, destroy it.

_A black beanstalk bursts through a graveyard._

**Cherry Blossom Finale**

Quick Play Spell

When a Plant Type Shizen Link you control destroys a monster in battle, inflict effect damage equal to half that monster's attack.

_Plumericat plays in a field of fallen cherry blossom petals._

**Pride Howl**

Quick Play Spell

You may activate this card when an opponent's monster is destroyed in battle. Select a Beast Type Shizen Link you control. Double its attack until the end phase. Halve all damage inflicted by that card this turn.

_Shizen Link Silver Fur howls at the moon._

**Shizen Link Silver Fur**

?

_An adorable wolf cub with silver fur._


	3. Arrival

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Yu-Gi-Oh GX**

**I'm the type who loves reusing OCs. Naota, Yuu, and Hikaru are in a lot of my stories on other accounts and on Fictionpress. I also share OCs with my friends so you can see Naota, Hikaru, and Yuu in other stories such as Koukon Bridge.**

**This is my first time writing Ham, though he does appear in the story Digimon: Rebellion by Twilidramon. If you are a fan of Digimon, I highly recommend it.**

**On another note, Cadence and Izuru belong to Arcana Force XIII Thanatos (who based them on characters from Dangan Ronpa), he is currently working on a Yu-Gi-Oh and a Digimon story. Keep an eye out for them! Naota and Ham even make an appearance in his Yu-Gi-Oh fic!**

**Side Note: until recently, I had no idea Cadence and Izuru were based on Dangan Ronpa characters. That would have been nice to know ahead of time, before I started writing this.**

**Chapter 2: Arrival **

Long ago it was decided that the best place to teach children to play a card game was on an isolated island in the middle of the sea. As such the students had no way of making it on their own, instead they had to rely on one of the available methods of transportation. Some would be flying in on one of the Akimoto family's many jet planes. Those farthest away would go with this method as it covered the most distance in the greatest time. Some would travel by private cruise ship, enjoying the sights of the sea as they travelled. Others had the option of taking a train that vanished into an underground tunnel only to resurface on the island.

No matter what the service was the same. Rooms were outfitted with the most luxurious sofas around. It felt like sitting on a soft cotton cloud. Beds rested along the walls in case anybody needed a nap. Large LCD TVs with a hundred channels stood bolted to the walls if anybody got bored. Trolleys ran up and down the aisles offering free food from Moink. Those with finer tastes could purchase anything from sushi and pizza to lobster and caviar.

Naota examined himself in the mirror, unsure of how he was presenting that day. Ironically, despite being designated male at birth, he had more trouble crafting a male image of himself. Perhaps it was because even as a male he still came off as fairly girly. His curly brown hair was soft and feathery and always smelled of strawberries thanks to his shampoo. Sometimes it even seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. Messy bangs hung before his eyes giving him a look of youthful innocence.

His frame was awfully skinny. He was scrawny no matter how you looked at it. He wore an oversized red sweater that hung over hips and arms. It gave him the illusion of being even skinnier than he actually was. And his black cotton shorts stopped long before his knees, cute but very innocent and youthful.

He tied his silver blazer around his waist.

When Naota got dressed that morning, he spent an hour in front of the mirror trying on different out while his brother and cousin Daisuke both snored away in their beds. He went with black, white, pink, T-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, jeans, and more, but nothing seemed to fit. He held an article of clothing up to the mirror then toss it aside like a rag doll.

The silver blazer came last. Every student got a blazer to mark their dorm ranking, it was the only mandatory part of the uniform, but there weren't any rules or regulations about _how _you needed to wear it. Naota played with it for twenty minutes before deciding it looked best around his waist. The sleeves hung over to the sides while the blazer itself hung behind him.

Hikaru on the other hand wore her White Dorm blazer with pride. She'd easily won her entrance exam duel, swarming the field with enough Spellcasters to devastate the proctor's Life Points. A splash of effect damage and she took him out on her third turn with a powerful OTK. That apparently had earned her entrance into the highest dorm possible.

The blazer went over her pink t-shirt and stopped at her waist. She wore a long black skirt that fell to her knees and pink socks and pink arm warmers. Black and pink were Hikaru's two favorite colors and she showed them off with pride. A little white splashed into the mix seemed to work just well.

Naota insisted on heading to the train early, which meant waiting for half an hour in the cold morning air before the train opened up. Then they found a nice luxurious room and waited a whole half an hour more before departure time. Their home town was the first stop on the train's path, but far from the last.

Naota and Hikaru found a room draped with pink carpet and a white faux leather sofa. Hikaru tossed her pink backpack on the ground while Naota placed his at the foot of the princess canopy bed. The shelf held a vase of beautiful Lilacs, blue Irises, and anemones.

Hikaru flipped through the TV stations before finding one she could settle on, some station was in the middle of a Harry Potter marathon. Naota rested his head on the pillow and plugged in his headphones. Swaying his hands in time with the music, mouthing the words to Hazuki/Zer0's _Heart Link. _He watched the scenery rolling by out the window. Grass covered the country as far as the eye could see

"_If a succession of love isn't enough to succeed, though I want to believe, because this is what I need and I'm fading in a dream and lost in this fantasy. Which way is right? When there's nothing left. Caught between my last breath and death."_

Trees rolled by as they passed a village of small houses. He saw a large manor standing on top a hill. Even from far away he could still make it out. It looked Victorian, with polished wood and a rose garden out in front. It reminded him of Yuu's old house, though it wasn't quite as big. A gate blocked off the large driveway that meandered up the hill in a winding path. It stood out compared to the much smaller houses around it.

Hikaru noticed her cousin's interest. "Something wrong?" She asked.

Naota took his headphones off. "That house reminds me of somebody. I just, I wonder if she's getting on anytime soon." Naota stood up and walked toward the door. The train slowed to a halt and Naota heard the front doors creak open. "I'm going to wait in the hall and see if she passes by."

Naota pushed the room door open and stepped into the hall. Dozens of students pushed past him, carrying or pulling their bags. Most students mailed their luggage to the school save for the important things, but that still left a lot of things to be carried.

One young boy bumped hard into Naota, sending a sharp pain through his arm. Naota let out a yelp of shock and the boy shot him an angry glare. "Sorry," he said as he walked away.

Naota sighed as he pushed himself further against the wall. He scanned the ground for any sign of her, a flash of blonde hair, the sight of an elegant dress, or anything of that sort. Finally he saw her, her long blonde hair bobbing up and down as she paraded down the hall pulling seven bags of luggage on a cart. "Cadence!"

"Oh, hello Naota. I did not realize I'd be seeing you so soon." She wore a white outfit like a nightgown with her silver blazer wrapped around her neck like a scarf. Silver beads decorated her outfit in an elegant floral pattern. A hat rested on her head. It was a simple white hat shaped like a bell with a black bow wrapped around it. "Would you mind if I sat with you?"

"Sure, come on in." Naota opened the door for his friend.

Cadence sat on the sofa next to Hikaru. "So how have you two been?" Cadence asked.

"Naota's been nervous as Hell even after passing the entrance exam. He's worried that the classes will be too hard and he'll flunk out," said Hikaru. "I've been working on some card ideas I wanted to make. I have a few Spellbook ideas that I want to try out."

"I've got a few ideas myself," said Cadence. "Some of them are a bit powerful though, so I am worried they won't be permitted. I just think they'd go well with my deck theme." Cadence let out a sigh. Part of the Academy's goal was to get students to create new archetypes, but another goal was to let them create new cards for old ones. So each student made themselves a new deck, but still kept their old decks to upgrade with supplemental cards fresh out of their imagination. Of course sometimes for homework the class would receive an archetype and be forced to create cards for support. "I've actually got a ton of ideas," she said as she reached into her bag. She pulled out an art book filled with water color sketches. On the front side of each page she'd draw and paint a beautiful monster, spell, or trap card and paint it with elegant brushstrokes. On the back she'd write out its stats and effects in elegant cursive.

She painted Harpies, and Dragons, and Fairies dancing in mushrooms. She painted a Dunames Dark Witch bathing in a ray of moonlight, a Blue Eyes White Dragon sleeping on a mountaintop, the Gemini Elves sipping tea, and more.

"Gemini Tea Party?" Asked Hikaru, reading the card's name and effect.

"Just an idea," said Cadence. She pulled out another notebook filled with paintings. "I use Dark Counterparts and Lightrays together," she said. "So I've been coming up with my own Lightray and Dark versions of famous monsters. Like Lightray Magician," she pointed to a Dark Magician wearing blue and White armor. "And Lightray Blader," Cadence said as she showed Hikaru and Naota a Buster Blader with similar blue and white armor and a helmet that looked like the Blue Eyes. She turned to Naota. "What about you, any new Shizen Links for your deck?" She asked.

"I think I might come up with some spell or trap support," said Naota. He paced quickly before plopping on the bed to hug a pillow. "Maybe something like Unity of Nature which can support Beasts, Plants, and Insects. But I don't want to actually make any S Links. I feel like that wouldn't be right."

"Do they have sentimental value?" Cadence asked. "I know they're really rare, I've never heard of them before."

"They were one of the last archetypes designed by Molly Ishida," said Naota. Cadence gasped, recognizing the name. "She's a popular artist. She did the artwork for Stardust dragon, the Lightsworns, and a few Blackwings, but she also designed a few archetypes herself, like the Hieratics and Gishkis. Everybody said she and her husband, Kuro, were going to be stars in the industry. Pegasus himself said they were two of his best employees.

"But one day they died and nobody knows how. This was one of the last archetypes that Molly made. Pegasus considered keeping it locked up but he didn't want to do that to Molly's last work. He felt the cards deserved better. So he held an auction with the proceeds going to charity and the cards sort of," Naota stopped realizing he'd said too much.

"Oh, so those cards must have given to you by somebody close. I can see why they'd have sentimental value. I think that's really sweet." Cadence said to Naota.

"Yeah, my best friend gave them to me," Naota said as he rubbed his deck case. "So I'm going to focus more on creating my own archetypes and maybe supporting some other cards instead of making new S Links. I actually have a few ideas for Fusion monsters."

"Fusions?" Asked Cadence. "You don't see many people working on those any more. I feel bad for them, they've mostly been forgotten now that Synchros and Xyz cards exist. I myself have a few planned. Not sure if I will have any in my archetype though."

"What is your archetype anyway?" Asked Hikaru. "I did Magical Girls and Naota did moon themed cards."

Cadence twirled out of her seat and with a smirk on her lips she replied, "Promise not to laugh? I'm doing vampire ninja bunny butlers!" She waited for a reaction.

"Uhhh, vampire ninja bunny butlers?" Hikaru stammered. "You're joking right?"

"No," said Cadence in monotone. "Vampire ninja bunny butlers are no joke. When we get our cards I'll show you. Vampire ninja bunny butlers are a serious threat, a force to be reckoned with."

"I think they sound cool!" Naota said with a smile. "Bunnies are cute." He fell back into bed and rolled toward the wall. He stared out the window as the train jerked back to life. "Looks like we've still got some time before we get there," he said with a sigh.

Cadence's eyes lit up. "Well, you said you can't draw, right? Tell me about some of your cards and I can draw them for you. Then you can turn those in to the office. This way you'll have cards that are better suited toward your taste." Cadence grabbed a blank art book and dug around one of her bags for some art supplies. She pulled out a pencil, eraser, pen, and some brushes. She reached into another bag to grab an art palette, paint, and bottled water.

"No thanks, I don't want to be a bother to anyone," Naota said quietly. He scrunched a pillow tightly to his chest. "I wouldn't be able to do anything in return."

"Nonsense, that's not what friendship is about," Cadence told him. "I won't force you, of course, but designing your moon themed cards would be a pleasure."

Naota watched the trees rolling by.

When they got to Akimoto Academy, the sky burned with oranges and reds. The sunset took Naota's breath away. Somehow it seemed purer and more explosive in the academy air than it did back home.

A man dressed in a blue uniform handed out maps of the island. Naota took one for himself and handed two more to Cadence and Hikaru. He heard the roar of an airplane above as another group of students arrived at the islands. Apparently they weren't the last ones to arrive.

"So there are four dorms right," Naota said to Cadence and Hikaru. "And each one has rooms for boys, girls, and non-binary students?" Some schools wouldn't allow boys and girls to sleep in the same building, apparently that wasn't the case here.

"Yes, that appears to be so," said Cadence. "Would you like to head to our dorm now or would you like to explore the island a bit. It's getting late but curfew isn't until 8:00. We have some time until then," she pointed out.

"I'm tired, I think I'm going to crash," said Naota. He waved to Hikaru. "See you tomorrow." He tensed up a little as he moved away from his cousin. When he took the test he'd been hoping to get into the same dorm as Hikaru so that they could be closer together. But when they received their blazers he knew that dream was dashed. As a Silver Dorm student, Naota would be in a room in the silver dorm along with a roommate. He wished her were good enough for White Dorm, those students got private rooms.

"According to this map, our dorms are that way," said Cadence as she pointed to the north. In the distance Naota saw several tall buildings painted a sparkling silver color. They looked like a series of three story apartments with rails and balconies. They weren't too far away, so Naota stretched his arms as they started walking.

"I'm off this way," said Hikaru as she headed east toward the White Dorms. They were in a huge building shaped like a huge dome surrounded by a perimeter of flowers. "See you two tomorrow, hopefully we have some classes together."

Naota peeked at the map, the island was huge. In addition to the classes and dorms they had a four star restaurant (for those who didn't like the free cafeteria food), a Moink (for those who didn't like the free cafeteria food but didn't want to spend a fortune either), a theater (with all the latest movies), a gym, a baseball field, a football field, a basketball court, a spa, a library, and more. He went dizzy trying to take it all in.

"The Akimotos sure went all out designing this place didn't they?" Asked Cadence. "Not even Duel Academy is this fantastic," she said. "I'm surprised they can afford it though. I know they're rich but not as rich as the Kaiba family from what I hear."

"Who knows, maybe they are richer than the Kaibas," Naota joked. "I just hope they put good money into maintenance. I don't want the power going out on us in our dorm."

"I seriously doubt that will be a problem anytime soon," said Cadence. "In fact I think I know what that power outage was about. If I'm not mistaken, then a certain _somebody_ was to blame. I just need to gather some evidence and confront my suspect."

"Huh?" Naota asked. He shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." He put the map down and walked faster. "I just hope the Wi-Fi is good, if not then I hope the library has good books." He and Cadence didn't get very far before a young woman came running after them.

"Excuse me," she said, "I'm looking for a Naota Yamaguchi." She said.

"Speaking," Naota answered. He tensed up, worried that something had gone wrong and he was about to be in trouble. Luckily Hikaru saw him and jogged his way.

The woman had blonde hair, a bit longer than Hikaru's but shorter than Cadence's, and wore a striped blue and purple sweater with pinks jeans. Small rimmed glasses covered her bright green eyes. "Hello, I'm Professor Nakao. But you can call me Rinko. I was sent to well perhaps this is best discussed alone."

"I'll just go wait over there," said Cadence as she stepped a safe distance away.

Nakao brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I'm here to take you to your room at the Black Dorm."

"Black Dorm?" Naota asked. "But I'm a Silver Dorm student."

Professor Nakao smiled when she noticed Hikaru. "And you must be Ms. Reinhardt, correct?"

Hikaru nodded at the teacher.

"Great, I've been waiting for you both," said the Professor. "I'm to take you both to the Black Dorm. See, while normally the Black Dorm is reserved for top third year students, it's also where all the students with special needs go, as it's easiest to meet their accommodations there." She turned to Hikaru. "We noted that Naota does best when accompanied by a trusted person, so we got you two rooms right next to each other."

"Really?" Asked Naota. "That's amazing." He froze, suddenly unsure of how to explain things to Cadence. "But, I, well."

"Don't worry," said Hikaru. "Everything is going to be okay." She smiled. "If anybody gives you any trouble, send them my way." She held up her Duel Disk. "I'll kick their butts for you."

Naota waved to Cadence as he walked toward her. "So, change of plans. Due to certain _unusual _circumstances, I have a room at the Black Dorm instead of the Silver Dorm." Naota stared at the ground as he spoke, too nervous to read his friend's expression.

"Ah, I see. In that case I will be off then. See you tomorrow. I had fun on the train!" Cadence showed no signs of shock or disbelief. She merely waved as she walked away, her bags of luggage rolling behind her.

Naota smiled as his friend walked away. Turning to Nakao, he said nothing. He wanted to point out that such accommodations were never mentioned previously. He'd talked to a school advisor about his disability, his aunt and uncle were there with him and they all asked what life at the academy would be like. They'd heard a lot in regards to accommodations. Naota could have extra time during tests, access to quieter test taking areas, the ability to leave class in the event of a meltdown, and they even offered a note taker. Never did they mention that disabled students would be allowed access to the best dorms.

It made sense for students with physical disabilities, but he didn't see how a specific dorm was really going to help with his disability. Well, not having to share his space with a roommate sounded nice. Maybe they had soundproofed rooms to help shut out external stimuli that could lead to sensory issues? He figured it was best to just roll with it.

"Your teachers have already been informed of your disability. They've all received emails explaining your accommodations. If, over the course of the semester you find that these aren't enough then feel free to contact your disabilities counselor Ms. Kinomoto," said Professor Nakao.

They walked toward the White Dorm. According to the map, the Black Dorm was just beyond it. Moving past the dome, Naota gasped when he saw it. Set against the backdrop of the fiery sky stood a large black castle with towers that stretched up like hands clawing toward heaven.

"This is your dorm," said Nakao. "Your dorm rooms are on the third floor." Next she gestured to another building nearby. It was a simple square building lit ablaze with golden lights pouring from out the glass doors. Naota saw a clear view of the inside. Students were dueling each other, dozens of them all ready for action before the school year even began. "That's the Duel Arena. Every academy has one. Students gather there when they want somebody to duel but can't find anybody. It's open pretty late, you can check it out if you want, but it does get pretty noisy sometimes."

Naota thought it over. The entrance duel had taken a lot out of him. Being in front of all those people. He could barely handle it. The Arena looked even more crowded. Sure, he wouldn't be alone, others would be dueling as well, but that still made him nervous. He'd nearly had a meltdown in front of the crowd last time he dueled. If the lights hadn't shut off, he didn't know what would happen.

He remembered Cadence's words. _If I'm not mistaken, then a certain _somebody_ was to blame. _She couldn't possibly mean Izuru could she? What motive could he possibly have? Then again what motive could anybody possibly have?

As they started to walk by, Naota felt something tugging him toward the Arena, begging him to go inside. He gave it one last glance. There were about fifty or sixty students inside, dueling each other with determined looks. Their faces smiled in victory and frowned in defeat. Something told him to go inside, but he brushed it aside for the time being.

Inside the castle they passed a few students in wheelchairs and others with canes. Naota even saw a blind girl walking with a guide dog. Some of the students were dressed in Black Blazers but others wore Blazers of every dorm color, gray, silver, and white.

The floors were covered in a soft looking red carpet. Naota wanted to bend down and feel it, or else take off all his footwear and run barefoot. It looked so exhilarating. He figured if anybody would understand the desire, Nakao would, but it didn't seem like it was worth the risk.

The walls were made of stone, just like a real castle, but the temperature was kept at a nice and reasonable level, not too warm not too hot. Nakao led them into an elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. Naota looked outside, realizing the elevator was made of glass. He could see the ground falling behind him as he rose skyward into the blazing atmosphere. It was so pretty.

The halls on the third floor were spacious and roomy. Occasionally they'd pass by a table featuring an ornate vase full of flowers. "This will be your room," Nakao said to Naota, pointing to room 306. "And Hikaru, you get room 305." She gestured to the room right next to it. "There are laundry chutes in your room. Laundry is done every Wednesday but laundry rooms are available to students if you wish to wash your clothes at any other time. Oh and help yourself to the snacks in the fridge. They're free and restocked weekly." She smiled at them both. "My office is on the first floor. I have lots of work to do so I'll be staying up all night. If you need me then please _do not hesitate to ask." _She giggled. "And with that, I bid you adieu." The professor skipped off like a free spirited child. It was happy to watch.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower," Hikaru said. "You want to do something afterwards?"

"Well, umm," Naota nearly fell over. "Could we go to the Duel Arena, I want to see if we can meet anybody you know."

"Well, he might be visiting, but I doubt he'd be at the Arena. I mean. He doesn't start school here until next year. Unless he skipped a grade," Hikaru started mumbling to herself. _"Not like that'd be a surprise."_

Naota shook his head. "No, not him. I meant," he tensed up.

"Oh, my little Naota has somebody on his mind other than Yuu?" Hikaru said with a laugh. "Now _that _is a surprise." Naota frowned and tensed up. "Hey, sorry. You okay?"

"Never mind. I'm probably just being silly. I mean. I don't think he'd be here anyway," Naota slumped to the floor hugging his knees. "I think I'm going to go to bed early."

"You sure? Because whoever you're thinking of, maybe they're here, maybe they aren't. There's only one way to find out." Hikaru said. "And that's too look for him. Let me take a quick shower and then we can hit the Duel Arena."

Hikaru vanished into her own room, leaving Naota to his. It was well furnished. There was a simple canopy bed with aqua colored sheets and a comforter, ten pillows on top, and a longer body pillow to hug. He had a Plasma TV complete with a high quality home theater system, an empty bookshelf for him to fill up with his manga and novels once they arrived, a stereo with a plug in for his phone, and a glass case full of DVDs and video games for the PS4 and Wii U systems.

He looked through the game collection. They had RPGS, Rhythm games, platformers, and some of the newest from _Shinigami Conglomerate. _Naota laughed. Of course they would. Shinigami Conglomerate was one of the largest video game companies out there, owned and run by the Akimoto family. They seriously got their hands into everything they could. They had banks, credit cards, automobiles, and more. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if they _were_ richer than the Kaibas.

Naota took off his shoes and socks and felt the soft blue carpet beneath his feet. It was like stepping on a cloud. He danced across the room and squatted down, running his fingers across the surface of the carpet, watching the trails as he blazed them.

He opened the fridge in the corner of the room and found it stocked with snacks. They had Hot Pockets, toaster strudels, candies, and more. He grabbed a bottle of strawberry milk and pulled off the cover. He'd just started sipping it when Hikaru knocked.

"You ready to go?"

Naota swore he felt a static charge of energy flying through the air. Students cheered and screamed and swore. It almost drove him to run and hide. His head pounded, but he focused on his mission. Scanning the crowds he saw that there were duels everywhere. First years versus first years, third years versus third years, gray versus gray, white versus white, first year gray versus second year silver, and more. Some of the duels seemed to be evenly matched while others were complete curbstomps.

"_Go, Neo Flare Bahamut, attack his Life Points directly."_

"_I activate the trap card Rising Shadows."_

"_I Special Summon my ultimate monster, Steel Eyes Iron Dragon."_

There were perhaps fifty or so students in the Arena and this was only the first floor. He counted very few Black Dorm students. Either they didn't bother with this place or they really were rare. He didn't see anybody who looked familiar in the crowd. Wait, scratch that. One person looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't be sure.

He had short red hair that fell to his shoulders and wore a simple black T-shirt with black jeans. He didn't have his blazer on, so it was impossible to tell what dorm he was from. His face furrowed as he stared at his opponent. The duel had just ended and Naota couldn't tell who won. The boy stomped off toward the exit, his scrawny arms pumping up and down like an exaggerated military march.

"…" Naota tried to say something but he locked up. His words churned in his throat and tumbled back down, tasting like vomit. He tried to wave to the boy but his arms felt like stone.

That's when the other boy noticed him staring. His bangs fell in front of his eyes as he stopped, making it hard to judge his expression. Not that Naota was ever good at that anyway. "Hey, you're that kid from the train. Sorry about earlier I was in a rush." He walked past Naota and grabbed the door, ready to move on.

"Do you want to duel?" Naota squeaked.

"Huh?" The boy froze. "Didn't figure you were the type to up and challenge somebody so brazenly. You mad at me for earlier or something?" He glanced at Naota up and down. "Nah, you don't look the type." He smirked. "Fine. We can duel. But it's a little crowded here, let's take this outside."

The boy stepped outside and Naota and Hikaru followed. He eyed the blonde girl with suspicion and asked. "She your cousin or something?"

"Yeah!" Naota said with a smile. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess. Anyway, my name is Jamison A. Auttenberg." He brushed his hair aside. Shuffling his deck, he let out a yawn. "So, you haven't told me your names yet." He inserted his deck and the Duel Disk hummed with vitality.

**Jamison: 4000**

"I'm Naota Yamaguchi."

"Hikaru Reinhardt."

Naota shuffled his deck quickly and nearly dropped a few cards. He managed to catch one on his inactive Duel Disk. He set his deck in place and drew a hand of five cards. "Do you want to go," Jamison drew a sixth card before Naota could even finish.

"So tell me Naota. Why did you challenge me? There were tons of other people in there still ready to duel and you could have challenged any of them, but I was in the middle of leaving. So why me?" He carefully looked over his cards.

"You, well," Naota froze up. "On the train, when you walked by, you seemed sad," he said. "I wanted to be say something but I got scared. So I just wanted to find out your story."

"So you challenged me to a duel instead of asking? How cliché. Next thing you know you'll try to be my friend when you win the duel." Jamison yawned.

"Don't you mean if?" Naota asked.

Jamison growled. "I summon Fusilier Dragon, the Dual Mode Beast!" (2800/2000) A large red machine rose up on Jamison's field. It looked like a dragon shaped tank. It was blood red with glowing yellow eyes and a long neck. It had two cannons on its head and two on either side, all pointed at Naota. "Since I summoned him without tribute, his stats are halved." (1400/1000) "I'll set a card and end my turn," he said as a face down appeared before him.

'_He probably has a Skill Drain deck.' _Thought Naota. _'In that case I know what to do. Hopefully he waits to activate it when I attack. It's a risky maneuver for him but it would take out a monster on my turn and weaken my defenses for his attacks.' _Naota drew his next card. "I summon S Link Courage Terrier," Naota said as his puppy appeared on the field. Courage Terrier wagged his tail and panted happily. (1200/800) "Next I activate Union Howl! When I control a Courage Terrier I can Special Summon another one from my deck!" (1200/800) Naota slipped his card into the graveyard and watched as his puppy howled at the sky. A flash of red fell upon the field and took the form of a second Courage Terrier. The two playfully chased each other in circles as they ran around the field together. (1800/800) "My S Links can all gain power ups from each other, up to a certain limit. They get half the original attack of one comrade, so long as that comrade isn't too much stronger. Level 4 and lower monsters gain strength from Level 5 and lower monsters."

"God that sounds confusing and weird, whatever." Jamison sighed. "Why not just make it any S Link?"

"Go Courage Terrier, attack his Dual Mode Beast." Naota smiled. "And when he attacks, you can't activate trap cards!"

"God you're so predictable. You can only think one step ahead when you need to think three times as far." Jamison laughed. "I activate Forbidden Chalice." A golden cup rose onto the field and exploded into golden light. The powerful golden aura flowed toward the Dual Mode Beast, covering Fusilier in a shining coat of energy. (3200/2000) "This card negates my monster's effect for the turn, thus permanently restoring its original attack, and it gives it an extra 400 point boost for the time being. Fusilier, gun his dog down!"

Courage Terrier tried to scratch and bite the mighty dragon tank, but Fusilier's head swung back and forth as it readied its gun. Courage Terrier whimpered, but stood his ground as the tank fired machine guns and launched two rockets that exploded into a cloud of smoke.

**Naota: 2600**

"Skill Drain decks are common. I know you know this. I know you aren't foolish enough to attack me without a backup plan," said Jamison. "Sure, by letting you attack me before I activate Skill Drain, I can trick you into losing a monster and Life Points while saving my attack, but it's not worth the risk. There are too many cards that negate traps, especially during the battle phase. Of course my facedown was going to be Forbidden Chalice. And now you're the one who's lost a monster and Life Points. And your other doggy is looking pretty lonely without his friend." (1200/800)

"I'll set a card and end my turn." Said Naota. He watched the dragon's attack points return to normal. (2800/2000)

Jamison drew. "In fact I'll tell you what. I'm going to win this Duel without using Skill Drain at all," he growled. "Just because you've figured out your opponent's main tactics, don't ever think for a second that you've won. A good duelist will _always _have a backup plan."

"I'm sorry." Naota said as his shoulders slumped.

"God, why are you apologizing?" Jamison rolled his eyes.

"You're mad at me. I'm sorry. I really thought my plan was going to work. I didn't mean to underestimate you," Naota said as he looked at the ground.

"I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei." (2300/0)

Naota wasn't sure what this new monster was. It has orange brown skin and a muscular build. It wore red and black armor from neck to toe but left its arms mostly exposed. Its tail wagged in anticipation of battle. It appeared to be a Beast Warrior, but Naota wasn't sure. He started to sweat. _'Okay I can't remember this card, but with that much attack it has to have a negative effect.' _Naota pressed a button. "I activate the Trap Card Bravery Stance! This turn my Beast Type S Links can't be destroyed in battle and whenever you attack one I get to Special Summon one of equal or lower level from my hand or grave."

Courage Terrier let out a brave _arf! _Jamison laughed. "God, this is boring. You're only dragging things out. You haven't touched my Life Points yet and you're nearly dead." He shook his head. "Whatever. My Lei Lei attacks your Terrier."

The Beast Warrior charged forward like a wild beast and spun with his foot outstretched, kicking Courage Terrier directly at Naota. The dog and duelist both yelped in surprise as they fell over. Naota stood up and dusted himself off.

**Naota: 1500**

In a flash of white Light his second Courage Terrier returned to the field. (1200/800) Happy to see each other, the two dogs barked and hopped around. (1800/800)

"Fusilier, open fire!" Jamison swung his arm out and four rockets fired, exploding into a storm of dust and smoke. Naota started coughing as Jamison merely laughed.

**Naota: 500**

Jamison grabbed another card. "I'll set this and end my turn. And now my Fighter switches to defense mode as per his effect." Jamison explained. His Beat Warrior curled up into a tiny defenseless ball.

Naota drew his card and gulped. "I,"

"I activate Final Attack Orders, so all our monsters are forced into attack mode and they are stuck that way." Jamison laughed as his Fighter stood up once more. "Now you can't defend yourself except with spells and traps, I have two strong monsters on my field, and you're pretty much screwed. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to do my best," said Naota. "That's all I can do."

"God you're even more annoying than Izuru," sighed Jamison.

"Izuru, do you know him?" Naota asked.

Jamison smiled. "Beat me and I'll tell you."

Naota smirked. "You're on. First I normal summon S Link Plumericat." (1000/1000)- (1600/1000) Naota bent over to pet the kitten as she materialized on the field. She smiled and nodded as she curled up into a ball. "Next I tune her with one of my Courage Terriers."

Naota's monsters burst into light as they vanished into a tunnel of rings. "The profound bonds of nature give birth to a shining miracle. Blossom forth from the garden of my soul. Synchro Summon Shizen Link Lycoris!" (2300/2000)- (2900/2000) Lycoris materialized on the field. Her red hair flapped in the breeze as her twig arms bent down to pet Courage Terrier. (1200/800)

Hikaru gasped. "Naota, be careful. If you can't do something about her effect you'll lose when you end your turn."

Naota nodded. "Next I activate the spell card Wolf Pack. If I control an S Link Courage Terrier I can Special Summon S Link Silver Fur from my deck and equip it with this card! It costs half my life Points, but it's worth it."Silver light poured from his deck like a glowing waterfall. It gushed onto the field forming an adorable wolf cub no bigger than a puppy. It rolled around on the ground and let out a soft howl. (2500/2100) – (3650/2100) Lycoris shook her hair as a bright silver glow engulfed her. (3550/2100)

**Naota: 250**

Naota smiled. "This is why an S Link's power is limited. You wouldn't want me to have an army of level 4 monsters boosting their attack points by 1250." Naota smiled. "First, I'll have my Silver Fur attack Fusilier!" Naota ordered. S Link Silver Fur dashed forward and front flipped playfully through the air, tearing through the dragon tank with one paw.

**Jamison: 3150**

"Next I activate Pride Howl! S Link Courage Terrier has his attack points doubled for the remainder of the turn, at the cost of doing half the damage to you. He attacks your Fighter!" (2400/800) S Link Courage Terrier charged toward Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei. Lei Lei kicked at the Terrier but Naota's puppy was too fast and rolled out of the way. He hopped up and bit the Fighter's arm, shattering it in with the distinctive shriek of breaking glass.

**Jamison: 3100**

Naota smiled. "Now, Lycoris can end this duel with a direct attack!" Naota thrust his hand forward as a storm of petals overtook Jamison, blanketing him like a floral blizzard.

**Jamison: 0**

Jamison fell to his knees. "I, frick." He grumbled. "Just when I thought I had it." He bit his lower lip and frowned. "Dammit, I can't believe I lost again. First to that freak, then to you."

Naota tensed up. He wasn't sure what to say.

"Freak?" Hikaru asked. "I take it you mean Izuru?"

"Yeah, that asshole in the creepy mask. I was winning every duel until he came along and started beating everyone. He's a monster." Jamison scowled.

Naota wanted to point out how mean that was, but he couldn't say anything. He just watched as Jamison returned his cards to the deck holder at his side. "I never expected a kid like you to be so good. Those S Links are stronger than I thought. I wonder though, could you manage to stand up to Izuru." He smirked. "That's something I'd like to see."

Jamison stormed off into the night, leaving a stunned Naota to watch. Hikaru walked up to her cousin and smiled. "Hey, you won your first duel at the academy."

"Yeah, but, he was going easy on me. If he'd used Skill Drain I wouldn't have had enough strength to beat him," Naota said with a frown.

Hikaru looked at the last card in Naota's hand. "Hey that's not true." She grabbed Cherry Blossom Finale. "He chose not to use Skill Drain on his first turn so he could trick you into attacking. That means he can't use it until your second turn when you've already survived his onslaught. He activates Skill Drain and pays 1000 Life Points."

**Naota: 500**

**Jamison: 3000**

"This reduces both your Courage Terrier's attack points." (1200/800) "You summon Plumeria Cat and tune it with Courage Terrier to bring out Lycoris." (2300/2100) "And you activate Wolf Pack to bring out S Link Silver Fur." (2500/2100) "Lycoris rams into Lei Lei, but Plumericat's effect activates in the graveyard so Lycoris survives. You activate Cherry Blossom Finale and inflict effect damage equal to half of Lei Lei's attack.

**Naota: 250**

**Jamison: 1850**

"You combo it with pride Howl to double Silver Fur's attack points." (5000/2100) "And he attacks and destroys Fusilier. Though the damage is halved, it still clears the way."

**Jamison: 750**

"Courage Terrier attacks directly."

**Jamison: 0**

"And you win," Hikaru finished.

Naota still felt like he'd lost.

**Original Card List**

**Union Howl**

Spell

Activate if you control a Shizen Link Courage Terrier. Special Summon a Shizen Link Courage Terrier from your hand or deck.

_Three Courage Terriers play together on the front lawn._

**Bravery Stance**

Trap

Activate only during your opponent's turn. Your Beast Type Shizen Links can't be destroyed in battle. If your opponent attacks a Beast Type Shizen Link you control, you may Special Summon a Shizen Link from your hand or graveyard with equal or lower attack.

_Courage Terrier stands up to a horde of Archfiends._

**Wolf Pack**

Equip Spell

Target one Shizen Link Courage Terrier you control. Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon 1 Shizen Link Silver Fur from your deck. If this card or the targeted monster leave the field, banish the equipped monster.

_Courage Terrier and Silver Fur playing in the snow._

**Shizen Link Silver Fur**

Earth/Beast

(7) 2500/2100

This card gains Attack Points equal to half the highest Original Attack of a Shizen Link monster you control other than this card. During your Standby phase, if you control no other Shizen Link monsters, destroy this card.

_An adorable wolf cub with silver fur._


End file.
